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Al-Ahli Eliminates Al-Hilal and Reaches the AFC Elite Champions League Final

Saudi club Al-Ahli eliminated compatriot Al-Hilal from the semifinal stage of the AFC Elite Champions League with a 3-1 victory in front of more than 50,000 fans at Al-Inma Stadium in King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah, which is hosting the tournament’s knockout stage, concluding next Saturday.

With this result, Al-Ahli has reached the continental final for the third time in their history, following appearances in 1986 and 2012. The team now aims to capture their first-ever title when they face the winner of the semifinal between fellow Saudi side Al-Nassr and Japan’s Kawasaki Frontale, scheduled for later today, Wednesday.

In contrast, Al-Hilal—the record holder with four titles—suffered a setback reminiscent of last season, when they were also eliminated in the semifinals by UAE’s Al-Ain, who went on to lift the trophy. The team now risks ending the season without any silverware, as their hopes of retaining the Saudi league title are fading—they trail leaders Al-Ittihad by six points with five rounds remaining—and they’ve already exited both the King’s Cup and the AFC Elite Champions League.

Match Highlights

Al-Ahli opened the scoring just nine minutes in with a 100% Brazilian goal. Roger Ibañez delivered a through ball to Galeno, who sent in a cross that found compatriot Roberto Firmino, who calmly slotted the ball past Moroccan goalkeeper Yassine Bounou.

Firmino’s sixth goal of the tournament set the tone for more. English striker Ivan Toney doubled the lead in the 27th minute, latching onto a precise through pass from Algerian star Riyad Mahrez.

Al-Hilal didn’t mount a real threat until the 31st minute, when Serbian striker Aleksandar Mitrović struck the post. However, captain Salem Al-Dawsari pulled one back in the 42nd minute. After weaving through Al-Ahli’s defense, he pounced on a deflected pass from Portuguese midfielder Rúben Neves—touched by Ivorian Franck Kessié—and finished clinically.

Al-Dawsari’s goal brought his tally to 10 for the current edition, making him the tournament’s top scorer, and took his overall tally in the competition to 33 goals—becoming the all-time leading scorer.

The second half opened with Al-Ahli on the front foot again, as Al-Hilal struggled further after Senegalese defender Kalidou Koulibaly was shown a red card. Bounou was kept busy, with the left post coming to his rescue three times—denying efforts from Firmino and Mahrez (73′), and another from Toney (77′).

In the closing minutes, Al-Ahli continued to dominate. Mahrez earned a penalty following a VAR review of a foul on substitute Hamad Al-Yami, but Bounou brilliantly saved Kessié’s attempt (86′).

In the seventh minute of stoppage time, Firas Al-Buraikan put the result beyond doubt, going one-on-one with Bounou and calmly slotting the ball into the net.

Post-Match Reactions

Riyad Mahrez praised his team’s dominant performance, saying: “We were better in every aspect. We controlled the game, created many chances, and could’ve scored even more.”

Asked about the secret behind Al-Ahli’s strong showing in the tournament, the former Manchester City winger said: “There’s no secret. Every player runs like crazy. We want to bring joy to our fans, and we promise to win the title—we’re waiting for them next Saturday.”

On the other side, Al-Hilal midfielder Rúben Neves admitted the loss was difficult to accept: “We wanted to win the title we also missed last season, but things got tough after we went down to ten men following Koulibaly’s red card.” He added, “The other team succeeded in scoring, and we didn’t—and that’s football.”